High-Tech, Armored Off-Roader Key to Afghan Surge

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High-Tech, Armored Off-Roader Key to Afghan Surge

The new troops headed to Afghanistan are important, sure. But unless those troops can get around the country without getting blown up, this latest surge is going nowhere fast. Which is why the Pentagon is in the middle of a crash program to build and ship to Afghanistan a new generation of bomb-resistant off-road vehicle, equipped with everything from composite armor to "electronic keels." If all goes to plan, they should have around 1,000 of the high-tech rides in the country by the end of the year.

Oshkosh Corp. won the contest, and snared the first delivery order in late June. The winning design was a 4x4 built around the chassis of the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, a seven-ton truck that had already seen service in Afghanistan. It shares the TAK-4 independent suspension system with the MTVR. The new vehicle also has a battle-tested composite armor kit designed by Plasan – that's an Israeli firm, owned by a kibbutz. The same company also makes armor for the MTVR.

Even though it's considered a "light" MRAP, the M-ATV is still a beast: It has a curb weight of just under 25,000 lb, and it's powered by a 370-hp Caterpillar C7. It seats four passengers, plus one gunner; and has a central tire inflation system with four terrain settings to improve traction on unimproved roads. It's not exactly a speed demon – going to zero to 30 miles per hour in 11 seconds. But that's not bad for a thing weighing twelve tons. Max speed is 65 miles per hour; max range is 320 miles. Each one costs about $1.4 million, fully loaded.

That includes inside each vehicle an "electronic keel," based on a gigabit LAN, that networks together all sorts of mil-gadgets – from sniper detectors to "blue force trackers" that plot friendly vehicles on a digital map. It should tie together any "Internet Protocol (IP) based weapon, communication module or sensor package without additional integration costs," according to the manufacturer. Think of it as a giant USB hub for war-making.

Thus far, the company says it has been delivering ahead of schedule: In a recent news release, Oshkosh said it was on track to meet the December target of 1,000 vehicles, with production levels remaining that high through April 2010.

All told 6,219 of the new vehicles are on order. In a recent visit to the Oshkosh plant in Wisconsin, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates praised workers for delivering the M-ATV so rapidly.

"In July, this factory produced 46 M-ATVs," he said. "Last month, that figure rose to more than 380. And November output is expected to exceed 660 vehicles, all toward meeting a total military requirement of more than 6,600. Peak production of 1,000 vehicles per month starts next month."

Added Gates: "The wars don't stop for the holidays, and neither will you."